State govt set to start lobbying with Centre

Without elaborating on the Narmada issue, the CM said he would represent the State’s interests and press for an early solution.

He would also take up various pending State demands — including a hike in crude oil royalty, transfer of Western Railway headquarters to Gujarat, allocation of gas for power projects, conversion of meter gauge lines into broad-gauge, more airports and more air services — with the respective ministers.

On Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar’s recent allegation that Gujarat was misleading the Supreme Court, Patel said the charges were comical. “Anyway, she ought to have spoken in the court and not outside”, he said.

To another question, Patel reiterated his government’s determination to scrap octroi and introduce an alternative tax, approval for which was awaited from the Centre.

Asked about the law and order situation in the State, he flatly denied charges that they were deteriorating. “Law and order is better here than in many other parts of the country”, he said. Earlier, after Patel landed at a makeshift helipad, he visited various wings of the two-decade-old ashram and expressed appreciation of its activities in the spheres of religion, service of infants, the aged and the mentally retarded, vocational training and dairy services. He was accompanied by MP Jayaben Thakkar, senior BJP leaders Ilaba Jadeja and Jitu Sukhadia and litterateur Gunvant Shah, besides senior bureaucrats.

Patel said the selfless activities of such a social organisation were also an example for Non-Governmental Organisations, the credibility of some of which were fast eroding.